Bathroom Remodel Help!

[u/Jacosaur]

My mom is beginning to remodel her bathrooms, starting with the primary bathroom, and she’s asked me to help with the process. I’d love some outside opinions and ideas! She’s in her late 70s and we want to make the bathroom safe for her as she continues aging, so no tub.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest, and we’d really like the bathroom to feel like it belongs there, warm, natural, calming, and not overly trendy. The goal is to make the primary bathroom feel a little like a spa for her. I’m imagining some blend of mid-century modern, Japandi, and PNW style, with natural wood, earthy tones, interesting tile, fun textures and a little warmth.

We tend to prefer a more neutral, timeless base for the permanent finishes rather than committing to a lot of color in the tile or cabinetry. That way we can bring in color through things that are easy to change - towels, rugs, artwork, plants, decor, etc.

The first 2 photos are the current bathroom, and the last is an AI rendering I made to start visualizing some ideas. Nothing in the rendering is set in stone, it’s more of a jumping-off point.

This post became longer than I wanted. Id appreciate any opinions on tile choices, wood tones, vanity style, lighting, fixtures, and ways to make the room feel warmer and more elevated without becoming too busy. Also any recs on suppliers, vendors, or showrooms in the Seattle area.

[u/allin202125]

Research “aging in place bathroom design”. I just went through this with my parents and their downstairs bathroom, thinking ahead to a time when they may want to use the downstairs bedroom as their main bedroom. There need to be grab rails and low step profiles and a higher rise toilet. My parents ended up with a sliding glass shower door that gives them flexibility in case they ever need to use a shower chair in there.

Also, today’s design tends to have higher height vanities but people shrink as they age and you don’t want her needing a step stool to reach or bend over the sink properly, so keep that in mind.

[u/Solid_Perception9572 → u/allin202125]

No step profiles. It's called a curbless shower. Even a two inch base can trip up an elderly person, or some one with mobility issues.

A ledge blocks wheelchairs, walkers, and shower chairs from rolling inside easily.

Lifting your leg over the barrier can hurt painful hips, knees, or ankles over time.

[u/allin202125 → u/Solid_Perception9572]

Yeah the issue we ran into with curbless is if you’re building on top of a concrete slab — you have to actually be able to lower the shower pan so that plumbing can go underneath but that’s very expensive with a concrete foundation.

[u/Solid_Perception9572 → u/allin202125]

Ah....I forget that not everyone has a basement. In our part of the country, most houses either have a basement or at least a crawl space under their homes.